My head snapped in his direction. “You just met the woman two days ago.” I shoved a hand through my hair. “Witch’s tits, Elm.”
Elm sighed heavily. “I’m a grown man, Draven.” Elm pushed aside a sheath of vines hanging down. “I don’t need you to protect me from anything.”
He was right, but I had a bad feeling about all of this. Something was off about these witches, how they’d just happened to run into Elm at the market, then invited him for a meal and disappeared after he’doffered to forage food for them. Then their cart somehow broke down and so did their tent. So of course Elm stepped in to offer them lodging.
“If they were going to take advantage of me, why wouldn’t they have accepted my offer to stay at the inn?” Elm asked. “I told you that Elspeth refused.”
“Probably because she’s so damn stubborn,” I muttered.
“And not a very good con artist,” Elm said.
I stepped forward as a body barreled into me, knocking me a few steps to the side.
“Oh!”
I looked down to see a pretty witch staring up at me with large brown eyes. Her wavy brown hair fell past her shoulders. She brought her hands to her cheeks.
“Auggie,” Elm said.
I looked between him and the woman. “Do you know each other?”
Elm gestured to the young woman, who carried a basket full of herbs and plants. “This is Auggie Moonflower.”
Another one of them. Auggie looked younger than her sisters. If I had to guess, I’d say Elspeth and Adelaide were in their late twenties, maybe early thirties, whereas Auggie looked to be in her early twenties, shorter and curvier than her other sisters.
“Elm! Are you headed to the cottage?” Auggie strode forward and looped her arm through his.
“Yes, and I brought a friend.” He gestured to me. “Auggie, meet Draven Darkstone.”
“Ah.” A knowing look glinted in her eyes. “So you’re the one who got under Elspeth’s skin.”
My jaw locked, and Elm coughed into his hand, though it sounded suspiciously like a laugh. He lowered his hand. “Sorry, got something caught in my throat.”
I glared at him as they began walking, and I followed behind.
“How is the cottage treating you?” Elm asked.
Auggie shuddered. “It’s horrid. I can’t believe Elspeth turned down your offer to let us stay at the inn. Maybe just some of us could go stay there?”
I stiffened.
“Ah.” Elm scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t want to get in the middle of family matters.”
“Pity,” Auggie said, a whine to her voice. “So are you coming to visit the cottage... or Adelaide?”
There was silence for a moment, then Elm said, “Am I so obvious?”
Auggie giggled, the sound tinkling like bells. “Maybe just a little.”
“Well, I might as well play my full hand, then. What can I do to win over your sister?”
Witch Superior. I was just going to have to stand back and watch this debacle unfold. Elm was right. He was a grown man, and if he wanted to pursue this Adelaide Moonflower, there wasn’t much I could do to stop him. But hopefully I could be a voice of reason.
“Buy her something!” Auggie said.
Of course that was her response, and exactly why I was wary of this entire situation. If Adelaide had true feelings for Elm, he shouldn’t have to buy her affections. She should like my friend for who he was and not because of the things he could offer. I clamped my mouth shut, forcing myself to bite my tongue. Speaking out now would only make things worse.
“Like what?” Elm asked.
